>Bettye Changes Her Tune, Imus Should Change His

>Republicans are coming to the defense of Don Imus, with John McCain indicating that Imus’s apology (although he hasn’t yet apologized directly to those he offended) is sufficient and Rudy Giuliani acknowledging that he would go back on the show with no qualms. I don’t think the locker room mentality that Imus plays to with his degrading manner of speak is limited to conservatives, rather it pervades all of society, but the fact that some high profile republicans seem to be almost embracing him is just creepy. No, the pundits are right. We need to change the nature of dialogue in this country, and record label executives need to ignite this change by directing rap and hip-hop singers to soften their language. Then people like Imus, Isaiah Washington and Ann Coulter need to be muzzled.

Remember less than a year ago when County Commissioner Bettye Fine Collins questioned whether Bessemer was growing sufficiently to justify building a new courthouse? ”Is Bessemer growing residentially that it needs to serve more people? No,” Collins said. ”We’ve got a courthouse satellite in Forestdale, we’ve got one in Center Point, we’ve got one in Homewood and now one in Gardendale. Why in the world are we building a $100 million deal in Bessemer?’‘ She did not understand that our courthouse was a full service courthouse, and not a “satellite.” She wanted to delay the funding for the courthouse until the new commissioners took over and now we know why. They could have then stopped construction before it even began, much like they’ve done with the new fire stations in Lipscomb and Brighton.

Well she must have read my letter that was printed in the Birmingham News last July (in which I pointed out that she didn’t understand the history or the importance of the Bessemer Cutoff and the courthouse, and invited her to leave her little world and come visit Bessemer and learn about us. I mentioned that historic neighborhoods are being restored, plans are in place to revitalize downtown, our public education is improving, and new families are moving to Bessemer). Because at the groundbreaking ceremony yesterday for the courthouse she said “Bessemer has a rich and wonderful history. This groundbreaking helps the resurgence of downtown and reflects the renewal going on all over the city.” What a change in attitude!

We should rally around State Representative Patricia Todd’s minimum wage bill. Our legislature just voted themselves a 62% raise (she voted against it), don’t you think they could muster up the decency to vote for an increase in the minimum wage? The proposal faces a key committee vote today.

And poor Dannielynn. I bet if she had her way, she wouldn’t choose Larry Birkhead or any of the other tabloid personalities as her father, or the life that she is going to be forced to live. I won’t disgrace my blog with a picture of those players, I just feel for the little child.